Abstract

Electroluminescence(EL) from a laterally suspended nano ZnO dot (LSNZD) integrated between two microfabricated atomically sharp probe-tips is presented. When driven by of bias current, the LSNZD emitted light, which was easily observed by the naked eye at room temperature. The minimum number of photons emitted per a second from the LSNZD was at 100 nA of current, when driven by 12.5 V. The light emission mechanism and electrical characteristics of the LSNZD are explained with a metal-semiconductor-metal model. An optical wavelength spectrum of the emitted light shows major bands of emitted photons between 580 and 750 nm, which indicates the electron transitions from defects in the ZnO band gap. The device fabrication is compatible with typical integrated circuit processes and is suitable for chip- scale optoelectronics.